Let bikeways be heard in the Regional Transportation Plan “Call for Projects”

Now through April is our time to ask for big-ticket bike projects in the upcoming Regional Transportation Plan “Call for Projects.” Take a look at the list of bikeway projects below and make a call to your local planner/city staff and ask that your bikeway be included in the Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) Update. We are looking for “big ticket” projects of at least $1 million here. The Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) is a long-range policy document that guides transportation funding decisions for the nine county Bay Area transportation system over a 25-year horizon. This includes bike projects for both Contra Costa and Alameda Countywide Transportation Plans–and guides what gets built. For example, all projects requesting state or federal funding must be consistent with this Plan.

The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) will issue an open “Call for Projects” for the RTP on March 1, 2011, with project submittals due April 29, 2011. City staff in your city will be submitting projects and the Bicycle Coalition is going to ask that bike projects be included. We have leverage, because “performance reviews” will be done for each project, assessing how well they reduce the number of vehicle miles traveled on our roadways. Now is the time to contact our local city planners and ask for bike projects in the Plan. We have many bikeway projects in the East Bay that have gone through the planning phase and are ready (or close to ready) for funding. The money is coming, we need to ask for it! Here is a list of projects that would complete many crucial bikeways: